John and Heidi in a Flex Company-- Removing Processes

Recently I wrote about process bloat, using two Killer Process Stories. The company where they work does not have a specific philosophy about process nor any method for reducing it when it is wasteful. Now I'll retell their stories to see what the outcomes would be in a type of company I call "Flex," standing for fluid and experimental.

John had added dozens of issues to a product in development, leading to high praise from his manager, Carla, and the new expectation that the whole team would find many times more issues than had been the case. Heidi had to fill in several templates for each project because senior executives each liked their own variant.

Assume that these processes had gotten going in a Flex company. In John's case the other team members would be able to propose, then carry out, an a/b test to see if the resultant product was any better under the "more issues" regimen. In effect, Carla would not be so quick to endorse this added process burden without supporting data, even it it sounded intuitively attractive to her. As a member of a Flex company, she would be aware of the scientific data on attention, its fragility and the need to hold out time for employees to think of new ways for the company to make or save money. (See Your light-saber brain.) Even thinking about things in light of testing and data-gathering puts a damper on the tendency to add processes just to impress senior management.

In Heidi's case it would also require an a/b test or series of iterative tests. She would inform senior management of the need to pare down her process, explaining the situation without fear of reprisal. She could send out the next project using one (amalgam) template along with a quick survey to see if it fit a given executive's needs. In a process-heavy organization this would seem professionally risky. In a Flex organization the consequent savings in her time would merit praise, even possibly a promotion.

As long as process per se wins thoughtless kudos, it will continue to be added and padded to workloads, creating a false impression of value. It takes respect for all workers as thinkers and problem-solvers as well as some basic understanding of motivation, current findings about our brains, and willingness to test and reduce or remove process tinsel killing corporate growth. 

? Connie Missimer 2016